Astronomical Observations

Solar Cycle 25 Offer: For each Astronomical Observation ticket purchased you will receive a 25% discount for each Solar Observation ticket. For online reservations the codes are sent in the confirmation e-mail. If you didn’t book online, just show us your booking confirmation and the discount will be applied onsite before purchase.

A guided tour of the magnificent night sky of Monsaraz, where one can learn the orientation by the North Star, identify the constellations and learn their legends. We use high resolution telescopes to observe deep sky objects like planets, clusters, binaries, nebula, galaxies and much more. Very simple concepts of astronomy and astrophysics are also introduced to better contextualize the observations.

The explanations are presented with clear examples and simple language by OLA’s guides. who are more than able to answer every question including existencial ones!

Schedule:

From Tuesday to Saturday all year round, except for July and August, when we open every day of the week.

  • March to October at 22:00.
  • November to February at 18:30 and 20h30 (times may vary due to the sunset in late February).

What’s in the sky?

November:

  • Given that we have exited Daylight Savings sessions start at 18h30 and 20h30.
  • New moon is on the 1st.
  • The Taurids Meteor Shower will hit maximum intensity on the night of 4th to 5th. Given the homogenous distribution of events, any night between the 3 and 9 will offer good views. What makes this meteor shower characteristic is the brightness of the meteors, despite the low count.
  • First Quarter in on the 9th
  • Full Moon is on the 16th
  • On the night of 17th-18th the Leonids Meteor Shower will hit peak intensity.
  • Saturn is in excelent conditions for telescope observation
  • Jupiter will begin to appear during the second session. However, it’s not in ideal conditions.
  • The Andromeda galaxy in excelent conditions for telescope observation.
  • The Night of Giants event will take place on the 30th of November. We will observe all the gas giants through a telescope using special astronomy cameras for unforgettable views.
  • Since we are approaching the Solar Cycle 25 maximum, it´s possible to observe aurora. This is heavily dependent on the intensity of solar eruptions.

December:

  • New moon is on the 1st.
  • The best time to see the Geminids Meteor Shower is between the 1st and 8th of December.
  • Jupiter opposition is on the 7th. On this day Jupiter and Earth will be a closest approach.
  • First Quarter is on the 8th.
  • Geminids Meteor Shower will hit peak intensity on the night of 13th to 14th. The moon will be 97% illuminated.
  • Full Moon on the 15th.
  • Last Quarter is on the 23rd.
  • New Moon makes a comeback for a second appearance on the 31st.
  • Saturn is in great conditions during the first session. The second session, while not ideal will still have Saturn in the sky.
  • Jupiter is visible during the first session, however, it’s not in ideal conditions. The second session will give a better experience.
  • The Andromeda galaxy in excellent conditions for telescope observation.
  • The Crab nebula, a supernova remnant is observable during the first and second session, second session is better. Important, avoid nights with the Moon in the sky!
  • The Great Orion Nebula, a massive and very close star forming region begins to appear during the first session. However, choose the second session for a better view of this beautiful nebula. Important, avoid nights with the Moon in the sky!
  • Since we are approaching the Solar Cycle 25 maximum, it´s possible to observe aurora. This is heavily dependent on the intensity of solar eruptions.

Recommendations to survive (don’t say we didn’t warn you):

Prices

Cancellation Policy

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